PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC – Transport and Aviation Minister, Eli Zakour, confirmed on Tuesday that two people, including the driver of the state-owned Public Transport Service Corporation (PTSC) bus, died after the bus collided with a truck on the Sir Solomon Hochoy Highway in west central Trinidad.
“Sadly, two people died. Our deepest condolences go out to the families at this difficult time,” he said, adding that preliminary reports indicate that the truck pulled out from the shoulder of the highway. The PTSC bus, in trying to avoid hitting it, would have collided.
“Preliminary reports also indicated that 23 passengers were evacuated by the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service and taken to the hospital, including the driver of the truck,” he added.
Their conditions remain unknown, and the police said that the driver of the PTSC Deluxe passenger bus and a female security officer employed with SWAT died at the scene. Their names were not disclosed.
The police said that the accident occurred on the southbound lane of the highway in Freeport, and videos circulating on social media show passengers sitting on the shoulder being attended to by paramedics.
Initial reports indicate that the bus rear-ended the flatbed truck, penetrating the front of the bus in the area where the driver and front-row passengers were seated.
Police Road Safety Officer, Brent Batson, described the accident as “disturbing” and is urging motorists to be extra vigilant on the roads.
“It’s disturbing because to have these types of incidents occurring on a Tuesday morning, that’s a bit of an anomaly from our data standpoint. But it also goes to show just how quickly, you know, accidents can occur on a roadway and why it’s so important for us always to be attentive as motorists to what’s happening around us,” he added.
He said 73 people have been killed in road accidents so far this year.
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